Endnotes 1-137 (Christian Hope) - Prophecy Questions

Below are the endnotes for my book Christian Hope through Fulfilled Prophecy: Is Your Church Teaching Error about the Last Days and Second Coming? An Exposition of Evangelical Preterism. (Available at Amazon.com.)

1. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/us-usa-weather-religion-idUKBRE8BC1CX20121213.

2. The war is sometimes referred to as the First Jewish Roman
War or The Great Revolt. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_War.

3. Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 6 (6.9.3). Available
online at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM. The
number of dead is far more even than the US Civil War, which is estimated
to be between 600,000 and 750,000.

4. Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 6 (6.3.4). Available
online at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM.

5. Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 5 (5.10.5) and Book
6 (6.9.4). Available online at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM.

6. See these websites:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_War
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish%E2%80%93Roman_wars
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Masada
• http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/jewishtemple.htm.

7. http://www.preteristcosmos.com/question5.html#note95.

8. Many scholars place the year of Jesus death on the cross at AD
33. So the intervening time till the destruction of the temple would have
been 37 years.

9. Edward E. Stevens, Introduction to the New Testament Canon, for
the Fulfilled Covenant Bible, Michael Day, editor, April 2011. This work
was still in progress and yet unpublished as of mid 2012. Here is the entire article: http://www.bibleprophecyfulfilled.com/bible/Intro_to_NT_Stevens.pdf. We highly recommend this article to our readers. Stevens is the founder of the International Preterist Association, website http://preterist.org.

10. The Reformation Study Bible, published in 2005, has contributions
from over fifty esteemed scholars; General Editor R. C. Sproul, Sr. In the introduction to the book of Luke, this source says (page 1451), “Luke and Acts may have been written about A.D. 63. Acts ends with Paul still under house arrest in Rome, and it is reasonable to think that if Luke knew of Paul’s release or death he would have mentioned it. Luke notes that the prophecy of Agabus was fulfilled (Acts 11:28); he would surely have done the same with Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20) if he was writing after A.D. 70. Acts mentions nothing that must be dated after A.D. 62 and shows no knowledge of Paul’s letters. All these factors argue for an early date.” In the introduction to the book of Matthew, The Reformation Study Bible (page 1359) states, “Further, there is some evidence in the context of the book that Matthew was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Gospel warns against the Sadducees, a group that rapidly declined from prominence after A.D. 70 and ultimately ceased to exist. The language used to describe the destruction of Jerusalem in ch. 24 reflects Old Testament prophecies of the divine judgment that Jesus foresaw as connected with the coming of His kingdom. There is no need to explain the content of ch. 24 as the author’s memory of a historical event.” Scholars generally agree that Mark was written before Matthew and Luke. The Reformation Study Bible was published by Ligonier Ministries, 400 Technology Park, Lake Mary, FL 32746.

11. Here is a partial list of authors who argue for dating the New
Testament prior to AD 70:

David Chilton, Paradise Restored: An Eschatology of Dominion (Tyler, Texas: Dominion Press, 2000)
Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 1999), Fourth revised edition. Available from their website http://americanvision.org/. DeMar is considered a partial preterist.
Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 1998). Gentry is considered a partial preterist/postmillennialist.
Arthur M. Ogden, The Avenging of the Apostles and Prophets. (Pinson, Alabama: Ogden Publications, 2006), Third Edition. Excellent argumentation for the early pre-70 date of the book of Revelation. Available from their website: http://www.aogden.com/index.shtml.
John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Westminster Press, 1976). (Robinson is considered a liberal scholar who was convinced that the entire New Testament was written prior to AD 70.)
J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003), originally published in 1878.
Milton S. Terry, Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on the Interpretation of the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Academie Books, a division of Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), originally published in 1898. Available in a free online versionat http://www.preteristarchive.com/Books/1883_terry_biblical-hermeneutics.html.
Cornelius Vanderwaal, Hal Lindsey and Biblical Prophecy (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada: Paideia Press, 1978).

12. The Reformation Study Bible says, “Revelation was written during a time of persecution, probably near the end of the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero (A.D. 54-68) or during the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96). Most scholars favor a date about A.D. 95.” As a preview to Chapter 9, these websites list numerous advocates for a pre-AD 70 authorship of Revelation:
• http://livingthequestion.org/revelation/
• http://www.preteristarchive.com/BibleStudies/ApocalypseC- ommentaries/Dating/Early/index.html.

13. C. S. Lewis, The World’s Last Night: And Other Essays (New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1960), pages 97-98. Available online at http://www.archive.org/details/worldslastnighta012859mbp.

14. Quote by Michael A. Fenemore and Kurt M. Simmons in The Twilight of Postmillennialism; Fatal Errors in the Teachings of Keith A. Mathison, Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. etc. (Preterism.info Publishing, 2010), page 57.
See http://www.preterism.info/jews-reject-futurism.htm.

15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prophecies_of_Joseph_Smith.

16. Stevens is the founder of the International Preterist Association,
website http://preterist.org.

17. J. I. Packer, Fundamentalism and the Word of God, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1958), pages 69-70.

18. Francis X. Gumerlock, The Day and the Hour: Christianity’s Perennial Fascination with Predicting the End of the World (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 2000), page 2. One can also find various lists of historic false prophets on the Internet, such as these websites:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfulfilled_Christian_religious_predictions
• http://www.abhota.info/index.htm
• http://www.ministryserver.com/rwsr/Part01_Introduction.htm
• http://americanvision.org/4545/before-harold-camping-therewas-chuck-smith/
• http://publisherscorner.nordskogpublishing.com/2009/01/is-it-time-for-doomsday-or-for-building.html
• http://politicaloutcast.com/2012/12/bible-scholar-predicts-end-of-world-and-immobilizes-millions/.
• (The interested reader can search for more such sites in the Internet.)

19. Cited by Don K. Preston, The Last Days Identified (Ardmore, OK: JaDon Productions LLC, 2004), page 79. See also this article by Daniel Walther entitled “RESEARCH: Martin Luther and the End of the World”: http://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1951/December/martin-luther-and-the-end-of-the-world.

20. From “American Lutheran Views on Eschatology and How
They Related to the American Protestants” by John M. Brenner.

21. The reader can find numerous lists of failed predictions on the
Internet. Sources include:
• Kenneth Dahl, http://www.facebook.com/notes/letting-god-escape/50-things-i-did-not-learn-in-church-about-the-end-timesby-ken-dahl/301690093241071, also Dahl’s book All These Things http://kennethdahl.com/allthesethings.pdf.
• Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 1999), Fourth revised edition, chapter 1.
• http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events.

22. See:
• Gary DeMar and Francis X. Gumerlock, The Early Church and the End of the World (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 2006), pages 27-38.
• Gary DeMar, Is Jesus Coming Soon? (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 2006).
• See also Samuel M. Frost, Misplaced Hope: The Origins of First and Second Century Eschatology (Colorado Springs, CO: Bimillennial Press, 2002).

Online sources for many of the preterist quotes from the early church fathers include:

23. See Francis X. Gumerlock, The Day and the Hour: A Chronicle of Christianity’s Perennial Fascination with Predicting the End of the World (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 2000). Most of what the early Church Fathers wrote remain untranslated—some 218 Latin and 166 Greek volumes.

24. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History (Church History), Book lll, chapters 28, 39. Available online here: http://ncbible.info/MoodRes/History/EusebiusChurchHistory.pdf. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eusebius_of_Caesarea, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papias_of_Hierapolis.

25. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History (Church History). Noteworthy are Book lll, chapters 7, 8, and 39 (against Papias and Irenaeus). Available online here: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers

Eusebius, The Proof of the Gospel (Demonstratio Evangelica) trans. W. J. Ferrar, 2 vols. in 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1981). Some noteworthy passages about the Lord’s coming in AD 70 include: Book VI, Chapter 13, paragraphs 13-18; Book VI, Chapter 18, paragraphs 26 and 27; Book VIII, Introduction first paragraph; Book VIII, Chapter 4, paragraphs 144, 146, 147; Book X, Chapter 7, paragraph 214. Available online at these sites:

Eusebius, Theophania. Noteworthy sections include: Book III, paragraph 4; Book IV, paragraphs 16-22, 28-29, 34-36; Book V, paragraph 17. You can see the work online at these links, as well as a summary by Samuel Lee:

29. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antichrist_(historicism). The Westminster Confession formerly had a statement in it about the Pope being the antichrist, but that was removed. There is at least one denomination that we are aware of that still says the Pope is the antichrist in its official statements: the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church.

30. We are not suggesting that the Bible contradicts science. It does not. Sometimes Christians assume that the Bible is speaking of scientific things when it is really speaking of theological things.

31. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003), originally published in 1878, page 328-329.

32. http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2889&t=KJV.

33. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_Barnabas and also specifically verse 16:5 of the Epistle of Barnabas: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/barnabas-lightfoot.html.

34. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of
Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist
Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), page 198.

35. Don K. Preston, from an article “The Passing of the Elements: 2
Peter 3:10”: http://www.preteristarchive.com/Hyper/0000_preston_elements.html.

36. David Green, Michael Sullivan, Edward Hassertt, Samuel Frost, House Divided: Bridging the Gap in Reformed Eschatology, A Response to When Shall These Things Be? (Romana, CA: Vision Publishing, 2009), page 165.

37. See Joseph M. Vincent II, The Millennium: Past, Present, or Future? A Biblical Defense for the 40 Year Transition Period (Ardmore, OK: JaDon Publishing, 2012), pages 63-80. Jubilees is considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as Jews in Ethiopia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_Of_Jubilees).

38. Daniel 2:28; 7:26; 8:17; 8:19; 9:26-27; 10:14; 11:27; 11:40; 12:4; 12:9; 12:13. Not all of these refer to the same end. There are various periods of time prophesied in Daniel. Some are clearly about pre-Messianic worldly kingdom dynasties and are often identified as such in the text, for example Daniel 8:20 and 8:21. So the “time of the end” in these instances refers to the end of those dynasties. However, some are clearly Messianic references, such as those identified with the term “Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13 and 8:17), which Jesus applied to himself. Daniel 7:9-27 clearly ties to the Second Coming predictions made by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24/25; Mark 13; Luke 21) in which Jesus promises to return in judgment on clouds in his generation. In terms of confirming full preterism, Daniel 12 is the most important first century AD eschatological reference in the book of Daniel.

39. The NASV translates Daniel 12:4 as the “end of time.” But this is a mistranslation. Other translations such as NKJV, ASV, and NIV correctly translate it “time of the end.”

40. The removal of the daily sacrifice could refer to a time shortly before the destruction, when the zealots brought an end to the priesthood and sacrifices. Or it could potentially refer to a time even earlier around AD 66 when the Jews stopped making sacrifices to Caesar.

41. While this can be a bit confusing, the taking away of the burnt offering is also mentioned in Daniel 8:11 and 11:31. These mentions probably refer to the first such cessation of the burnt offering in the mid-2nd century BC, when King Antiochus IV Epiphanes (ruler of the Seleucid Kingdom from 175-164 BC) forbade ceremonies and the worship of God in the Jerusalem temple and in the cities of Judah. In around 168 (or perhaps 167) BC Antiochus entered the Most Holy Place and plundered the silver and gold vessels. He erected an altar to the Olympian Zeus on the altar of God in the temple court and sacrificed pigs there. The books of 1 and 2 Maccabees (books in the Roman Catholic Bible but not in the Protestant Bible) mention the abomination of desolation in reference to these actions of Antiochus. There are some confirming indications within Daniel that at least the 8:11-14 mention of the abomination of desolation/cessation of the burnt offering refers to the Antiochus abomination. First, the context is the pre-Messianic visions. Secondly, verse 8:14 indicates that the temple would be restored. The temple was indeed cleansed and rededicated under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus in 164 BC. Other instances of the burnt offering cessation and the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27 and 12:11) are portrayed differently by Daniel than the Antiochus situation. At the end of the AD 66-70 abomination period, instead of being cleansed, the temple would be destroyed (Daniel 9:26) and the Jewish nation would be shattered (Daniel 12:7-11).

42. Citations for these quotes are from Flavius Josephus, Jewish Wars, trans. H. St. J. Thackeray (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1976), 5:401-403, 417-420. Also, Josephus, The Essential Works, ed. Paul L. Maier (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 1988; Revised edition, May 17, 1995), page 358. We derived this information from Tina Rae Collins, The Gathering in the Last Days (New York: M. F. Sohn Publications, 2012), page 66.

43. The Apocrypha is a group of ancient writings that are not considered canonical, but have appeared in some versions of the Bible throughout history. Most modern Protestant Bibles omit them.

44. See Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 4, Chapter 5, Paragraph 1 (4.5.1). Available online at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM. See also these links: http://www.preteristarchive.com/JewishWars/timeline_factional.html and http://www.preterist.org/preteristQA.asp#question17.

45. Michael A. Fenemore and Kurt M. Simmons, The Twilight of Postmillennialism; Fatal Errors in the Teachings of Keith A. Mathison, Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. etc.(Preterism.info Publishing, 2010), pages 13-17, 88.

46. Three and a half years, on a 360 day calendar, is 1260 days. On a 365 day calendar three and a half years is 1278 days. According to one source who has worked on these numbers, the Jewish month was either 29 or 30 days. Corrections were made from time to time to keep the calendar in line with the seasons. According to this source, the Jews added an “intercalary” thirteenth month to their calendar (sort of a leapmonth) every third year or so. This adjustment could account for the difference between 1290 days and 1260 days. But a strong conclusion with absolute precision remains elusive.

47. Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 6 (6.1.1). Available online athttp://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM.

48. Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 7 (7.1.1). Available online at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM.

49. If the reader is concerned that the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was limited in scope compared to the Great Flood which you assume was worldwide, there is a book that might be of interest: Beyond Creation Science by Timothy P. Martin & Jeffrey L. Vaughn, PhD. This book makes a strong case that the Great Flood was not, as many Christians think, worldwide. Rather it was regional. They give many valid biblical arguments; for example, the Bible tells us that the Nephilim were present on the earth before the flood as well as after the flood, so
not everyone outside of Noah’s family was killed in the flood. If their arguments are valid, Jesus’ comparing the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Great Flood makes even more sense than previously thought.

50. http://preterism.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-abomination-of-desolation.

51. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), page 45. Available from the International Preterist Association at their website: http://www.preterist.org.

52. David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Tyler, Texas: Dominion Press, 1987).

53. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), pages 64, 65, and 546.

54. For the uses of these words in the New Testament see: http://www.blueletterbible.org/. See also this article: http://www.verumserum.com/the-return-of-christ/eschatological-word-studies#toc-threegreek-words-for-the-return.

55. Hebrews 9:28 in most translations states that Christ “will appear a second time.” The phrase “will appear” is the Greek verb optanomai. In John 14:3 Jesus says He “will come again.” Here the phrase “will come” is the Greek verb erchomai.

56. Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 1999), Fourth revised edition, page 160.

57. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), Appendix to Part II, pages 350-354.

58. Found at various sources on the Internet.

59. Some people might focus on Matthew 23:39, where Jesus says: “You will not see Me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Their objection is that this seems to be a visible coming of Jesus which they believe has not yet occurred. But this statement is in the immediate context of Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, and in the “this generation” time frame of verse 36. Coming “in the name of the Lord” could be an affirmation of his divinity and thus consistent with Matthew 24. It seems best to understand this as “see Me in the judgment that I will bring.” Thus, the Jews would see the effects of the judgment, not Jesus visibly. See also Chapter 12 for a discussion of the visibility of Jesus’ return.

60. http://www.verumserum.com/the-return-of-christ/eschatological-word-studies#toc-three-greek-words-for-the-return. See also this article by William Bell http://www.examiner.com/article/the-meaning-of-generation-matthew-24-34.

61. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), page 69.

62. For an interesting discussions of how some partial preterists see two separate Second Comings of Jesus in the Oliver Discourse, see these articles by Daniel E. Harden entitled “When Is a Heretic Not a Heretic?”: http://www.preterist.org/articles/heretic.asp and “Split Decision: Olivet Stands United”: http://www.preteristarchive.com/Hyper/1999_harden_olivet-united.html

63. http://www.worldwithoutend.info/start/articles/ed_stevens_03-matt24.htm. Stevens is the founder of the International Preterist
Association, website http://preterist.org.

64. We note that Jesus spoke Hebrew and/or Aramaic. But the New Testament was written in Greek. The region at the time was multicultural and multilingual. So Jesus perhaps may have known Greek, or even Latin. See http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Jesus_Hebrew/jesus_hebrew.html.

65. Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision), Fourth revised edition 1999, . DeMar is a partial preterist postmillennialist rather than a full preterist. See also these additional books: (1) Kenneth Dahl’s book All These Things: http://kennethdahl.com/allthesethings.pdf. (2) Samuel G. Dawson, Essays on Eschatology: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Last Things (Amarillo, Texas: SGD Press, 2009), pages 47-64.

66. http://www.eschatology.org.

67. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878). This quote is a summary of Russell’s comments on pages 56 and 57.

68. John L. Bray, Matthew 24 Fulfilled (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 1996), page 85.

69. Joseph Ratzinger, Eschatology, Death and Eternal Life, Second Edition (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1988, originally published in German in 1977), page 39.

70. Ibid, page 46.

71. We will see the word mello numerous times in our study. While some would deny the imminency connotation of this Greek word, author Joseph Vincent analyzes how the word is used in non-eschatological passages and shows that the word normally means “near in time.” See Joseph M. Vincent II, The Millennium: Past, Present, or Future? A Biblical Defense for the 40 Year Transition Period (Ardmore, OK: JaDon Publishing, 2012), pages 95-99.

72. The Parousia of Christ may have begun at Pentecost per Matthew 26:64, but the consummation (i.e., his coming with his angels in the glory of his Father and rewarding every man according to his works) happened in AD 70.

73. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7lGKIGFpNM&feature=relmfu. According to Preston there are three exceptions. See the next endnote for the full quote.

74. http://www.preteristarchive.com/Hyper/0000_preston_critical-text.html.

75. Milton S. Terry, Biblical Apocalyptics: A Study of the Most Notable Revelations of God and of Christ in the Canonical Scriptures, originally published in 1898, page 222. Terry was also the author of a classic work on hermeneutics entitled Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on the Interpretation of the Old and New Testaments. See also: http://www.verumserum.com/the-return-of-christ.

76. Taken from the foreword by Gary DeMar in The Day and the Hour by Francis X. Gumerlock. These authors cite as the source for the quote: Gerald B. Stanton, “The Doctrine of Imminency: Is It Biblical?” in Thomas Ice and Timothy Demy, eds., When the Trumpet Sounds (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1997), page 222.

77. Brian L. Martin, Behind the Veil of Moses: Piecing Together the Mystery of the Second Coming (Xulon Press, 2009), page 163.

78. Scholars disagree about how long after the giving of the prophecy that its fulfillment took place. For example, some say 200 years, others say 142 years. Alan Bondar cites Walvoord’s Bible Knowledge Commentary (page 1060) as saying that Babylon was destroyed within 15 years after the prophecy. See Alan Bondar, Reading the Bible through New Covenant Eyes (Baltimore, MD: Publish America, 2010), pages 193, 331.

79. Some people challenge preterists by pointing out that certain Old Testament texts that were to be fulfilled “soon” didn’t happen until hundreds of years later. Certain of these texts are Isaiah 51:5; Ezekiel 7:7; 30:3; Jeremiah 48:16; Joel 1:15; 2:1; 3:14; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7, 14. Alan Bondar cites non-preterist authors who have each of these passages being fulfilled within a generation of the actual prophecy. He cites (1) Homer Hailey, Commentary on the Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing, 1973), and (2) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985). See Alan Bondar, Reading the Bible through New Covenant Eyes (Baltimore, MD: Publish America, 2010), pages 193, 331.

80. http://revelationrevolution.org/isaiah-65-a-preterist-commentary.

81. http://www.andrewcorbett.net/articles/new-heavens.html.

82. http://www.preteristarchive.com/Hyper/0000_preston_ no-death.html.

83. See this article by Duncan McKenzie: http://planetpreterist.com/news-5109.html.

84. Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 6 (6.5.3). Available online at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM.

85. In addition to Josephus, Tacitus, Eusebius, and the Jewish Talmud mentioned this phenomenon. See: Josephus Wars (6.5.3.296 to 300), Tacitus Histories (Book 5), Eusebius Ecclesiastical History (Book 3, Chapter 8, Sections 1-6), Sepher Yosippon A Mediaeval History of Ancient Israel (Chapter 87, “Burning of the Temple”). See also Edward E. Stevens http://www.preterist.org/preteristQA.asp#question7.

86. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 3 (3.6.4, and 3.7.7). Available online at http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/JOSEPHUS.HTM. See also http://ontimejournal.com/new-heaven-and-new-earth.

87. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians_in_the_Roman_Empire.

88. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), page 366.

89. For details, see Don K. Preston, D. Div., Who Is This Babylon (Ardmore, Oklahoma: JaDon Management, Inc., 2006), pages 2-3.

90. See http://livingthequestion.org/revelation/ (lists 62 scholars who support a pre-AD 70 date for Revelation). This book contains lists of authors who argue for a pre-AD 70 date for Revelation: Kenneth L.Gentry, Jr., Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 1998), chapter 4. Among numerous other books that address this and which argue for a pre-AD 70 date include: (1) Don K. Preston, D. Div., Who Is This Babylon (Ardmore, Oklahoma: JaDon Management, Inc., 2006), page 249-250. (2) Gary DeMar and Francis X. Gumerlock, The Early Church and the End of the World (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, 2006), pages 167-177. (3) Samuel Frost, David Green, Edward Hassertt, Michael Sullivan, House Divided: Bridging the Gap in Reformed Eschatology, A Response to When Shall These Things Be? (Romana, CA: Vision Publishing, 2009), pages 131-149. (4) Brian L. Martin, Behind the Veil of Moses: Piecing Together the Mystery of the Second Coming. (Xulon Press, 2009), page 135.

Articles about the dating of Revelation:

• http://www.preteristarchive.com/BibleStudies/ApocalypseC- ommentaries/Dating/Early/index.html,
• http://www.preteristarchive.com/Hyper/0000_preston_revela- tion-date.html,
• http://biblicaleschatology.org/2009/01/05/research-insights-into- the-date-of-revelation-part-iv/
• http://api.ning.com/files/y43g75DEG9wIQpsxrkrl0esZAFk3z- 5ZolOQDVar16vGVjLGJH*5cNs6BTLNpt8uwyFxmmpgK- PNQZNQSmV5JydE9GtOhybO7c/DidJohnLiveBeyond70.pdf

We also note commentary by Edward E. Stevens from Introduction to the New Testament Canon, for the Fulfilled Covenant Bible project, April 2011. It is a articularly interesting and helpful article. In it Stevens lists the probable dates that each New Testament book was written:

http://www.bibleprophecyfulfilled.com/bible/Intro_to_NT_Stevens.pdf.

Stevens wrote that the apostle John died during the Neronic persecution, about the same time as Peter and Paul (ca. AD 64-65). Eusebius (AD 263-339) cites two men before him that said that John lived until the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan (AD 98-117)—Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria. But Eusebius also said that there were doubts as to John’s authorship of Revelation, so the accuracy of such statements is doubtful. In any case, assuming that John wrote Revelation as is commonly held, even if he did live past AD 70, that does not mean that Revelation was written after AD 70.

We also refer the reader to: Edward E. Stevens, First Century Events in Chronological Order: from the Birth of Christ to the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, A Pre-publication Manuscript (International Preterist Association, 2009), pages 19-21. See also: Edward E. Stevens, “Did John Live Beyond AD 70?”— http://api.ning.com/files/y43g75DEG9wIQpsxrkrl0esZAF- k3z5ZolOQDVar16vGVjLGJH*5cNs6BTLNpt8uwyFxmmpgKPNQZN- QSmV5JydE9GtOhybO7c/DidJohnLiveBeyond70.pdf

91. R. C. Sproul, The Last Days according to Jesus (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1998), page 141.

92. There are other possibilities concerning the Irenaeus quote, which purports to tie the writing of the book of Revelation to the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96). One possibility is that the family name of Nero was Domitius, so Irenaeus could have been referring to Nero. Another is that Domitian was the son of Vespasian (and brother of Titus). Ves- pasian was elected Emperor in December 69. But he was not in Rome at the time. It took Vespasian six months to make his way back to Rome from Jerusalem and Egypt, where he was securing foodstuff for his soldiers. During this half year, Domitian assumed the role temporar- ily as Caesar. So, if Irenaeus was indeed saying that John was writing Revelation during the reign of Domitian, he may have been referring to this period!

93. R. C. Sproul, The Last Days according to Jesus (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1998), page 147. See also: “When Was the Book of Revelation Written” by Wolfgang Schneider: http://www.biblecenter. de/bibel/studien/e-std310.php.

94. Frederic Myers, Catholic Thoughts on the Bible and Theology (London: Dalby, Isbister & Co, 1879), The Fourth Book, chapter 35, page 327. Available online at http://www.archive.org/stream/catholicthoughtsonbible00myer#page/n3/mode/2up.

95. http://livingthequestion.org/revelation/.

96. http://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com/documents/eschatology/beast.php.

97.

http://blog.adw.org/2012/11/why-the-modern-view-of-the-book-of-revelation-may-be-flawed/

98. http://newjerusalemcommunity.blogspot.com/2012/10/behold- he-cometh-with-clouds-and-every.html.

99. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beast_(Revelation).

100. Don K. Preston, D. Div., Who Is This Babylon (Ardmore, Oklahoma: JaDon Management, Inc., 2006), pages 52f. This is an excellent book for those desiring to get deeper into this topic.

101. Gary DeMar, End Times Fiction: A Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001), pages 126-127.

102. Gary DeMar, Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church (Powder Springs, Georgia: American Vision, Fourth Revised Edition 1999).

103. R. C. Sproul, The Last Days according to Jesus (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1998).

104. See endnote 21 at this source:

http://www.freedominchrist.net/BIBLICAL%20STUDIES/New%20Testament/Revelation/Chapter%202–Identity%20of%20the%20Beast%20of%20Revelation.htm

Endnote 21 states: Philostratus, Apollonius of Tyana, vol., 1 [Loeb edition, vol., 16], Book IV. XXXVIII, Loeb Classical Library, translated by F. C. Conybeare (Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1917, 2004), 437, 438.

105. For a description of Nero, see Kenneth Dahl’s book All These Things: http://kennethdahl.com/allthesethings.pdf, page 43.

106. There is quite a bit of discussion about this on the Internet, which the reader could check if so inclined.

107. http://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com/documents/eschatology/beast.php.

108. Gary DeMar, End Times Fiction: a Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers), page 143.

109. There are other preterist views of who the beast was. Edward E. Stevens has written about certain clues in Revelation that suggest that the beast was Jewish, therefore was not Nero. See Fulfilled! Magazine, Spring 2012, pages 10-12: http://www.fulfilledcg.com/Site/Magazine/magazine_previous_issues.htm.

110. Steve Gregg, Revelation, Four Views: A Parallel Commentary. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997), pages 466-468.

111. Anthony A. Hoekema, The Meaning of the Millennium (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1977), page 161. Cited from Joseph M. Vincent II, The Millennium: Past, Present, or Future? A Biblical Defense for the 40 Year Transition Period (Ardmore, OK: JaDon Publishing, 2012), page 103. It should be noted that Hoekema was not a preterist.

112. A helpful book is Revelation: Four Views, a Parallel Commentary, by Steve Gregg (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997.)

113. ibid.

114. Very helpful resources are Don Preston’s book Who Is This Babylon and his multi-part YouTube series (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnzgVRo-eqA&feature=related).

115. Joseph M. Vincent II, The Millennium: Past, Present, or Future? A Biblical Defense for the 40 Year Transition Period (Ardmore, OK: JaDon Publishing, 2012), page 98.

116. While some scholars place AD 30 as the year of Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension, others including the respected Lutheran historian Dr. Paul L. Maier, professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, places the date of the crucifixion as April 3, AD 33. See http://www.mtio.com/articles/aissar30.htm. While this would make the millennium 37 years, the student of Scripture can scarcely miss the parallel of 40 years to other uses of 40 in the Bible, especially the 40 year wandering of the Exodus.

117. See David A. Green http://www.preterist.org/articles/ezekiel_38_39.asp.

118. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), page 525.

119. It could also be that John 3 refers to national rebirth/restoration of Israel, as explained in this article by Derrick Olliff:

http://beatenbrains.blogspot.com.au/2006/08/eschatology-of-being-born-again.html.

120. It is conceivable that this first resurrection also included a physical resurrection of already martyred saints from the dead. If this is the case, one might conclude that the time span between the first and second resurrections was a period considerably shorter than 40 years. This would be consistent with Revelation 6:9-11 (“rest a little longer”). The student should not get hung up on this detail. The key to understanding Revelation 20 is verses 11-15 which was the general resurrection and judgment that happened coincident with the Second Coming.

121. Preterists offer somewhat different interpretations of who was resurrected and when per Revelation 20. Some preterists think that the first resurrection was the resurrection of the just, while the second resurrection was the resurrection of the unjust. Other preterists believe that the first resurrection refers to the resurrection from hades. And so forth.

122. Satan in these texts may be symbolic for apostate Israel.

123. One can get around this argument of the premillennial preterists by pointing out that the text does not say the beheaded were resurrected AFTER they were beheaded. It merely says “they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Thus, they “lived” before they were beheaded.

124. James Stuart Russel held to a version of this view. Modern au- thor Duncan McKenzie is the major present writer in support of this view. There are variations in the details from different writers. Russell held that verses 5-10 are still future. McKenzie thinks that only verses 7-10 are still future. See Duncan McKenzie’s articles:

• http://planetpreterist.com/news-5017.html,
• http://planetpreterist.com/news-5174.html,
• Also see his book The Antichrist and the Second Coming, A Pret- erist Examination (Xulon Press, 2012).
• Preterist Milton Terry, a contemporary of Russell, held that verses 11-15 were still future (Milton S. Terry, Biblical Apocalyp- tics, 1898: http://www.preteristarchive.com/Books/1898_terry_ apocalyptics.html).

Most preterists take issue with McKenzie, Russell, and Terry’s conclu- sion in this matter. Don Preston has a section in his book that argues against the views of McKenzie : Don K. Preston, D. Div., Who Is This Babylon (Ardmore, Oklahoma: JaDon Management, Inc., 2006), pages 281-321.

125. See articles by Kurt M. Simmons: http://www.preteristcentral.com/Studies%20in%20the%20Millennia.html. Also see Simmons’ book The Consummation of the Ages. And see the book by Douglass Wilkinson, Making Sense of the Millennium (Kindle Edition).

126. See article by Ed Stevens, “A 40-Year Millennium”:http://planetpreterist.com/content/40-year-millennium. Stevens is the founder of the International Preterist Association, website http://preterist.org.

127. For a detailed discussion of this, see David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Tyler, Texas: Dominion Press, 1987), chapter 21.

128. http://www.preterism.info/why-still-death.htm. Fenemore has also co-authored a book with Kurt M. Simmons: The Twilight of Postmillennialism: Fatal Errors in the Teaching of Keith A. Mathison, Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. et. al.

129. http://planetpreterist.com/news-5109.html. The bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2, 9-10) is elsewhere in the Bible described as the church (Matthew 9:15; John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-23, etc.).

130. http://www.preterist.org/articles/answering_mathison.asp.

131. David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation(Tyler, Texas: Dominion Press, 1987), page 494, 502.

132. The quote from Russell is from The Parousia pages 228-229. The concepts of salvation and redemption are linked in the New Testament to the point of being essentially equivalent. See such passages as Colossians 1:14 and Hebrews 9:15.

133. The reader can also consider such passages as Isaiah 27:9-12 and 59:17-21, as well as Romans 11:25-27.

134. Isaiah 28:11 and Joel 2:28-29 are further evidence, according to some, that speaking in tongues was a sign of God’s oncoming judgment. So, when God did judge the nation of Israel in AD 70, the gift of tongues was no longer to serve a purpose. Those who object to the interpretation that tongues ceased in AD 70 argue that in the same passage Paul says that “knowledge” will also cease. How can knowledge cease? One interpretation is that this means knowledge from the writings of the apostles; that is, the canon of Scripture would be complete by AD 70. This lends credence to the Reformation tenet that Scripture alone is sufficient for all matters of faith and life. Or perhaps a better understanding of the cessation of knowledge is that with the fulfillment of prophecy in the first century, the matters of the Old Testament that were vague for Jews became clear in their completion. For some additional discussion of the gift of tongues, see these links:
• http://www.preteristarchive.com/PartialPreterism/ma_speak.html
• http://www.treeoflifeministries.info/index.php?view=article&catid=35%3Apreterist-eschatology-all-prophecy-fulfilled-by-ad-70&id=149%3Amike-sullivan&option=com_content&Itemid=75
• http://so4j.com/faq.php#speaking_in_tongues
• http://www.preteristcosmos.com/gift.htm.

135. By one count, “kingdom” is found 122 times in the New Testament. Millennialists sometimes separate the two terms “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” in order to attempt to find a spiritual kingdom and an earthly kingdom. But this is incorrect. According to Joseph Ratzinger (Eschatology, page 26), Matthew used the term Kingdom of Heaven instead of Kingdom of God out of respect for Jewish tradition, which did not mention the name of God out of reverence. See also http://www.gotquestions.org/kingdom-heaven-God.html.

136. J. Stuart Russell, The Parousia: The New Testament Doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming (Bradford, Pennsylvania: International Preterist Association, 2003, originally published in 1878), page 344.

137. Brian L. Martin, Behind the Veil of Moses: Piecing Together the Mystery of the Second Coming (Xulon Press, 2009), page 135.

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